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Russell Targ and Jane Katra, Ph.D. Palo Alto, CA 94301
Since ancient times spiritual teachers have described paths and practices that a person could follow to achieve health, happiness, and peace of mind. Considerable recent research has indicated that any sort of spiritual practice is likely to improve ones prognosis for recovering from a serious illness. Many of these approaches to spirituality involve learning to quiet the mind, rather than adhering to a prescribed religious belief. These meditative paths would include all the mystic branches of Buddhism, Hinduism, mystical Christianity, Kabalistic Judaism, Sufism, and many others. What is hinted at in the subtext of these teachings is that as one learns to quiet his or her mind, one is likely to encounter psychic-seeming experiences or perceptions. For example, in The Sutras of Patanjali, the Hindu master tells us that on the way to transcendence we may experience all sorts of amazing visions, such as the ability to see into the distance, or into the future, the ability to diagnose illness, and to cure them. But, we are told not to get attached to these abilities they are mere phenomena standing as stumbling blocks on the path to enlightenment. In this paper we describe the laboratory evidence for some of these remarkable phenomena, and their implications for science, mental health, and peace of mind.
What do the spiritual healer, the mystic, and the scientist all have in common? They are all in touch with their interconnected mind as well as their community of spirit. As we move into the new millenium, in every area of human activity we are experiencing a climax in which science and religion are finally becoming coherent in the exclamation of a single unified truth. In my work with remote viewing research at Stanford Research Institute, we observed the in-flow of information that is the hallmark of psychic perception. We also saw an out-flow of intention that plays a part in facilitating distant healing. My purpose here is to show that the in-flow and the out-flow reside on either side of the quiet mind, and that self awareness can arise between these two flows. We have also noticed that narrowly focusing on phenomena, and the seeming omniscience available from ESP may be just a trap that prevents us from discovering who we really are, and what we should be doing. However, as we describe in The Heart of the Mind,1 we are confident that whenever any one person demonstrates an ability beyond the ordinary, it is can be seen as an inspiration to the rest of us, as an indication of an immense and still largely undeveloped human potential.
The scientific and spiritual implications of psychic abilities illuminate our observation that we live in a profoundly interconnected world. The most exciting research in quantum physics today is the investigation of what physicist David Bohm calls quantum-interconnectedness or non-local correlations. It has now been demonstrated repeatedly that quanta of light that are sent off in opposite directions at light speed, maintain their connection to one another, and that each little photon is affected by what happens to its twin, many kilometers away. This surprising coherence between distant entities is called non-locality. In writing on the philosophical implications of nonlocality, physicist Henry Stapp of the University of California at Berkeley says these quantum connections could be the most profound discovery in all of science.
Psychic abilities and remote viewing are demonstrations of our personal experience with such non-local connection in consciousness. Mind-to-mind connections give us expanded awareness, which is entirely consistent with life in a non-local world. Our knowledge of these remarkable abilities allows us to awaken each morning in wonder at the fact that our expanded awareness is not limited by either time or space. And it should have become clear to us by now that although we reside in bodies, there is more to us than skin and bones. Our quiet moments of self inquiry can reveal what that more is.
Stanford Research Institute (SRI) conducted investigations into the human mind's capacity for expanded awareness, also called remote viewing, in which people are able to envision distant places and future events and activities. For two decades SRI's research was supported by the CIA and other government agencies. I was co-founder of this once secret program which began in 1972. Our task was to learn to understand psychic abilities, and to use these abilities to gather information about the Soviet Union during the Cold War. We have found from years of experience that people can quickly learn to do remote viewing, and can frequently incorporate this direct knowing of the world -- both present and future -- into their lives.
For a phenomenon thought in many circles not to exist, we certainly know a great deal about how to increase and decrease ESPs accuracy and reliability. Remote viewers can often contact, experience and describe a hidden object, or a remote natural or architectural site, based on the presence of a cooperative person at the distant location, or when given geographical coordinates, or some other target demarcation -- which we call an address. Shape, form and color are described much more reliably than the target's name, function, or other analytical information. In addition to vivid visual imagery, viewers sometimes describe associated feelings, sounds, smells and even electrical or magnetic fields. Blueprint accuracy has occasionally been achieved in these double-blind experiments, and reliability in a series can be as high as 80 per cent. For example, the authors recently achieved 11 hits out of 12 trials in such a series2 With practice, people become increasingly able to separate out the psychic signal from the mental noise of memory, analysis, and imagination. Targets and target details as small as 1 mm can be sensed. Moreover, again and again we have seen that accuracy and resolution of remote viewing targets are not sensitive to variations in distance. In 1984 I organized a pair of successful 10,000 mile remote viewing experiments between Moscow and San Francisco with famed Russian healer, Djuna Davitashvili. Djunas task was to describe where our colleague would be hiding in San Francisco. She had to focus her attention ten thousand miles to the west, and two hours into the future to correctly describe his location. These experiments were performed under the auspices and control of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
Ten years earlier, in 1974, my colleague Hal Puthoff and I carried out a demonstration of psychic abilities for the CIA in which Pat Price, a retired police commissioner, described the inside and outside of a secret Soviet weapons laboratory in the far reaches of Siberia given only the geographical coordinates of latitude and longitude for a reference. (That is, with no on- site cooperation.) This trial was such a stunning success that we were forced to undergo a formal Congressional investigation to determine if there had been a breach in National Security. Of course, none was ever found, and we were supported by the government for another fifteen years. As I sat with Price in these experiments at SRI, he made the sketch shown below right, to illustrate his mental impressions of a giant gantry crane that he psychically saw rolling back and forth over a building at the target site!
Above right is Pat Prices drawing of his psychic impressions of a gantry crane at the secret Soviet research and development site at Semipalatinsk, showing remarkable similarity to a later CIA drawing based on satellite photography shown at left. Note, for example, that both cranes have eight wheels.
Here is a CIA artist tracing of a satellite photograph of the Semipalatinsk target site. Such tracings were made by the CIA to conceal the accuracy of detail of satellite photography at that time.
Data from our formal and controlled SRI investigations were highly statistically significant (thousands of times greater than chance expectation), and have been published in the worlds most prestigious journals, such as Nature, The Proceedings of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and The Proceedings of the American Academy of Sciences. 3 The twenty years of remote viewing research we conducted for the CIA is outlined in Miracles of Mind: Exploring Nonlocal Consciousness and Spiritual Healing, co-authored by Targ and Katra.4
One day, while we were working with Pat Price, he didnt arrive for the scheduled experiment. So, in the spirit of the show must go on, I spontaneously decided to undertake the remote viewing myself. Prior to that, I had been only an interviewer and facilitator for such trials. In this series we were trying to describe the day-to-day activities of Hal Puthoff as he traveled through Columbia, in South America. We would not receive any feedback until he returned, and I therefore had no clues at all as to what he was doing. I closed my eyes and immediately had an image of an island airport. The surprisingly accurate sketch I drew is shown below. What we learned from this trial, is that even a scientist can be psychic, when the necessity level is high enough.
Sketch produced by physicist Russell Targ, when he spontaneously took the role of remote viewer in the absence of psychic Pat Price.
This photograph shows the target, which was an airport on an island off San Andres, Columbia. Targ correctly saw, "Ocean at the end of a runway."
Recent research in areas as different as distant healing and quantum physics are in agreement with the oldest spiritual teachings of the sages of India, who taught that separation is an illusion. This concept suggests that there is no distance for consciousness, and we have an intuitive inner knowledge of time and space. In fact, we now know that information from the future regularly filters into our dreams one could fairly say that these precognitive dreams indicate that the future affects our past. That is, our dream tonight may sometimes be caused by an event which we will experience at a later time strongly violating our ordinary understanding of causality. In research by the authors, who are respectively a physicist and a spiritual healer, we have been exploring how our minds ability to transcend the limits of space and time is linked to our now well-documented capacity for distant healing.
We do not yet know the physics underlying psychic abilities. But, researchers in the field of parapsychology agree on the undeniable observation that it is no more difficult to psychically describe a picture or an event in the near future, than it to describe such a target in the present, when it is hidden from view.5 It is as though our bodies reside in the familiar four-dimensional geometry of Einsteins space-time, while our consciousness has access to another aspect of this geometry that allows us to find a mental path of zero distance to seemingly distant locations. This is how a physicist expresses such an idea, while mystics for the past three millennia tell us from their experience that separation is an illusion and we are all one in spirit, or consciousness. From experimentation in laboratories around the globe, it is clear that we significantly misapprehend the physical nature of the space-time in which we reside. It is this knowledge, together with our experience, that drives our passion to understand and learn more about the universe and the transformational opportunities offered us.
Joseph Campbell is famous for teaching that our lives are fulfilled only when we follow our bliss or passion. For Thomas Aquinas this passion was pursued through conscious reasoning. He wrote that:
The ultimate human felicity is found in the operation of the intellect, since no desire carries us to such heights as the desire to understand the truth. Indeed all our desires for pleasure or for other things can be satisfied, but the desire to understand does not rest until it reaches God.
However, those who truly understand the truth of God tell us that God can not be understood only experienced.
More than thirty years of investigations clearly show that one persons thoughts can affect the physiological functioning of another, distant person. We do not yet understand the causal mechanism involved, but the results are indisputable, and have obvious implications for our ability to facilitate healing in others. We take for granted the calming effects that a mothers gentle cooing has on her distressed infant, not really thinking about the effects of her soothing intentions. How do we know that our thoughts affect others? A significant body of research now exists demonstrating that one persons focused intentions can directly influence the physiological processes of someone far away. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you takes on new meaning when you realize we are all truly connected, as the following research studies show.
Exciting experiments in the area of Distant Mental Influence of Living Systems (DMILS) have been carried out by psychologist William Braud at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, California, and anthropologist Marilyn Schlitz, Research Director for the Institute of Noetic Sciences.6 They have repeatedly shown that if a person simply attends fully to a distant person whose physiological activity is being monitored, he or she (acting as a sender) can influence the distant person's autonomic galvanic skin responses. In four separate experiments involving 78 sessions, one person staring intently at a closed-circuit TV monitor image of a distant participant, influenced the remote person's electrodermal (GSR) responses. In these cases no techniques of intentional focusing or mental imaging were used by the influencer. He or she simply stared at the "staree's" image on the video screen during the thirty-second trials which were randomly interspersed with control periods.
In these studies, Braud and Schlitz discovered something even more interesting than this telepathically-induced effect on our unconscious system. They found that the most anxious and introverted people being stared at had the greatest magnitudes of unconscious electrodermal responses. In other words, the more shy and introverted people reacted with significantly more stress to being stared at than did the sociable and extroverted people. Quiet introverts may possess, or have developed, a sensitivity of consciousness that others are less aware of. This experiment gives scientific validation to the common human experience of feeling stared at and turning around to find that someone is, indeed, staring at you.
We are all familiar with the idea of premonition, in which one has an intuitive apprehension of something about to happen in the future usually something bad! There is also the experience of presentiment, wherein one has an inner sensation -- a gut feeling that something strange is about to occur. An example would be for you to suddenly stop on your walk down the street because you felt uneasy, only to have a flower pot then fall off a window ledge and land at your feet instead of on your head. That, of course, would be a useful presentiment.
In the laboratory, we know that showing a frightening picture to a person produces a significant change in his or her physiology. Their blood pressure, heart rate, and skin resistance all change. This fight-or-flight reaction is called an orienting response. Researcher Dean Radin at the Boundary Institute, in Los Altos, California, has shown in his research that this orienting response is also observed in a persons physiology a few seconds before viewing the scary picture! If ESP were an electro-magnetic phenomenon, this would be called an advanced wave.
In balanced, double-blind experiments, Radin has demonstrated that just before viewing scenes of violence or sexuality, your body apparently reacts to defend itself against the oncoming insult or surprise. However, such strong anticipatory shock reactions did not precede the viewing of a picture of a wastebasket, or flower garden. Of course, fear is much easier to measure physiologically than bliss. Here, it seems, your direct physical perception of the shocking picture, when it occurs, causes you to have a unique -- five seconds earlier -- physical response. Your future is affecting your past. These intriguing experiments are also described in Radins comprehensive book The Conscious Universe. 7
From the dawn of history certain individuals have been recognized as possessing special healing gifts. The Pharaohs of ancient Egypt viewed healers as revered advisors. And it was healers who actually founded the worlds great religions: Gautama Buddha, Jesus of Nazareth, and the prophet Muhammad were all gifted healers. The earliest Christians were primarily a healing community. And centuries before Jesus, the Hebrew prophets Elijah, Elisha, and Isaiah were acknowledged healers; and Moses is said to have healed many Israelites from serpent bites.
Medicine men and healing shamans throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas held some of most esteemed positions in their tribes. In contrast, the progression of Western thought has largely ignored the broad range of mind-to-mind healing that has worked in other cultures. With our reverence for Humanism and Reason, we have much to relearn about the role of consciousness in healing. Only now are we realizing the power of the mind to heal through the scientific method. In recent years, a number of pioneering experiments have explored the role one persons consciousness may have on another persons health.
In his 1993 book Healing Research, psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Benor examined over 150 controlled studies from around the world. He reviewed psychic, mental, and spiritual healing experiments done on a variety of living organisms -- enzymes, cell cultures, bacteria, yeasts, plants, animals, and humans. More than half of the studies demonstrate significant healing.8
An important study by Fred Sicher, Dr. Elisabeth Targ, and others was published in the December, 1998 issue of The Western Medical Journal describing healing research carried out at California Pacific Medical Center.9 It describes the positive therapeutic effects of distant healing on men with advanced AIDS.
In this mainstream medical journal the researchers defined non-local or distant healing as an act of mentation intended to benefit another persons physical and/or emotional well-being at a distance; adding that, It has been found in some form in nearly every culture since prehistoric time. Their research hypothesized that an intensive ten-week distant healing intervention by experienced healers located around the U.S. would benefit the medical outcomes for a population of advanced AIDS patients in the San Francisco area.
The researchers performed two separate, randomized, double-blind studies: a pilot study involving twenty male subjects stratified by number of AIDS-defining illnesses, and a replication study of forty men carefully matched into pairs by age, T-cell count, and number of AIDS-defining illnesses. The participants conditions were assessed by psychometric testing and blood testing at enrollment, after the distant healing intervention, and six-months later, when physicians reviewed their medical charts.
In the pilot study, four of the ten control subjects died, while all of subjects in the treatment group survived. But this result was possibly confounded by unequal age distributions in the two groups.
In the replication study, men with AIDs were again recruited from the San Francisco Bay Area. They were told that they had a fifty-fifty chance of being in the treatment group, or the control group. All subjects were pair-matched for age, CD4 count, and AIDS defining diseases. Forty distant healers from all parts of the country took part in the study. Each of them had more than five years experience in their particular form of healing. They were from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Native American, and shamanic traditions, in addition to secular bio-energetic schools. Each subject in the healing group was treated by a total of ten different healers on a rotating healing schedule. Healers were asked to work on their assigned subject for approximately one hour per day for six consecutive days, with instructions to direct an intention of health and well-being to the subject they were attending to. None of the forty subjects in the study ever met the healers, nor did they or the experimenters know into which group anyone had been randomized.
By the mid-point of the study neither group of subjects was able to significantly guess whether or not they were in the healing condition. However, by the end of the study, there were many fewer opportunistic illnesses, allowing the healing group to be able to identify itself -- with significant odds against chance. Since all subjects were being treated with Triple-Drug Therapy, there were no deaths in either group. The treatment group experienced significantly better medical and quality of life outcomes (odds of 100 to 1) on many quantitative measures, including fewer outpatient doctor visits (185 vs. 260); fewer days of hospitalization (10 vs. 68); less severe illnesses acquired during the study, as measured by illness severity scores (16 vs. 43); and significantly less emotional distress.
Dr. Targ concludes, Decreased hospital visits, fewer severe new diseases, and greatly improved subjective health supports the hypothesis of positive therapeutic effects of distant healing.
The editor of the journal introduced the paper thus: The paper published below is meant to advance science and debate. It has been reviewed, revised, and re-reviewed by nationally known experts in biostatistics, and complementary medicine . We have chosen to publish this provocative paper to stimulate other studies of distant healing, and other complementary practices and agents. It is time for more light, less dark, less heat.
Two other studies of distant healing have been published in prestigious medical journals. In 1988 Dr. Randolph Byrd published in The Southern Medical Journal a successful double-blind demonstration of distant healing. The study involved 393 of his cardiac patients, at San Francisco General Hospital.10 And in 1999, cardiologist William Harris of the University of Missouri in Kansas City, published a similar successful study with 990 heart patients. His paper appeared in The Archives of Internal Medicine.11
Scientists dont yet clearly understand how the mind-stuff of ones own intentions results in the contractions of ones muscles. It remains a mystery, how the invisible mind moves the physical body. But we do know now that it is more powerful than we previously thought. Twentieth century science has documented that our thoughts affect others that we are all interconnected through our consciousness. We arent even alone in experiencing the effects of our own thoughts!
We are actually already hooked up to the psychic Internet Jungs collective unconscious. But the users are primarily those who have learned to stop their thoughts and rest their attention. They are tuning in to access and affect the exchange of information.
Today, many of us are searching for a comprehensible spirituality, one in which experience takes primacy over religious belief. It is evident that a person need not believe or take on faith anything about the existence of universal spirit, because the experience of God is a testable hypothesis, as we describe below. However, philosophical proof is not our purpose. Rather, we have become aware that this experience is available to anyone seeking a spiritual life who at the same time desires to remain a critical and discerning participant in the twenty-first century. We can include God in our lives without giving up our minds, if we can transcend our usual analytical thoughts and learn to become mindful. A scientist might pray, or search for the peace which passes understanding as a way to experience the truth without conscious thought.
Wisdom teachers throughout history have shown that the experience of God is possible without belonging to a church or following a religion, as long as ones basic motive is to discover truth. Dr. Herbert Benson recently proposed that we our bodies and our brains are hard-wired for God. By this he means that throughout the past twenty-five hundred years from Buddha, Jesus, and the Baal Shem Tov (the founder of Hassidic Judaism), to such poets as Rumi, Blake, and Emerson mystics have shared a common experience that is actually available to us all. In all the mystic paths, the experience of God is celebrated, rather than the belief in God, or the religious ritual. The Sufi poet Rumi shared his thoughts which arose after experiencing his own divinity:
All day I think about it, then at night I say it.
Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing?
I have no idea.
My soul is from elsewhere, Im sure of that,
And I intend to end up there.
Whenever we sit peacefully and quiet our mind, we have an opportunity to experience an oceanic connection with something outside our separate self. To many, that connection is experienced as an overpowering feeling of love, and it may well constitute part of our evolutionary process as a species.
This feeling of universal love, without any particular object, is often associated with the realization that we reside within an extended community of spirit enveloping all living beings. Such feelings of unbounded interconnected consciousness have been described by many as an experience of God. The gift of a quiet mind allows us to understand what it means to be in love, like being immersed in loving syrup, as contrasted with being in love with another person. It is possible to reside in love (or gratitude) as a way of life. This experience is the source of the often-heard expression that God is love, which in an ordinary context is easily dismissed as a simple cliché, or worse, as not even comprehensible.
These oceanic, loving, peaceful experiences are examples of the compelling feeling of oneness that mystics have been urging us to explore for millennia. Jesus called this state of awareness the peace that passes all understanding, and a kingdom which is not of this world. Hindus call it bliss, or ananda. And Buddha called it a state of no-mind, meaning the absence of thoughts disrupting awareness of indivisible unity.
This state is available to us now, while we reside in the world, whether or not we know or follow any religious teachings. Psychologist Joan Borysenko has written, When the heart is open, we overcome the illusion that we are separate from one another.
Early in the twentieth century, two of the worlds greatest logicians, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Alfred Ayer attempted to describe the physics and metaphysics of what can be known about reality. These Logical Positivists proclaimed that nothing meaningful could be said about God, because no experiment could be designed to either prove or disprove (verify or falsify) whatever one might say. But, by the end of their lives, both Wittgenstein and Ayer were willing to seriously examine the idea that the experience of mystics might actually be considered data something observable in an experiment. In fact, in Wittgensteins last book, On Certainty, he gave primacy to experience over theory. This pre-eminent logician tells us, The solution to the riddle of life in space and time lies outside space and time.
For thousands of years, various wisdom teachers have presented a world view to all who will listen. They have described a sit down and be quiet practice that is available for all to observe and experience. They then invite us to examine our experience, and see if it corresponds with their teaching. Ultimately, this seems like an acceptably scientific, empirical approach to spirituality.
Thirty years ago national U.S. magazines proclaimed on their covers that God is dead. Today, we would say that God is neither alive nor dead, but rather manifesting as activity in consciousness -- transcending and transforming ones ordinary awareness. God is an active personal experience rather than a distant entity in the sky. Our five familiar senses bring us data of the material world, while filtering out and limiting our exposure to the wider, transcendent world of active awareness available to the quiet mind. The direction of our attention is the most powerful tool we have to transform our lives.
After centuries of academic bombast, we are finally coming to recognize how tentative so-called scientific truth really is. In a scientific world increasingly governed by so-called laws of indeterminacy (Werner Heisenberg) and nonlocality (John Bell) in physics and incompleteness (Kurt Gödel) in mathematics, we are beginning to find room for the experience of God.
Philosopher Ken Wilber makes this point with great force in his book Quantum Questions.12 He asserts convincingly that although physics will never explain spirituality, the spiritual realms may be explored by the scientific method:
The preposterous claim that all religious experience is private and noncommunicable is stopped dead by, to give only one example, the transmission of the Buddhas enlightenment all the way down to present-day Buddhist masters (which allows it to be experienced and discussed today).
Wilber describes three different, but equally valid, avenues of scientific empiricism: The eye of the flesh, which informs us about the world of our senses; the eye of the mind, which allows us access to mathematics, ideas, and logic; and the eye of contemplation, which is our window to the world of spiritual experience. None of these approaches suggest that we must embrace any body of dogma, or that we need to integrate Santa Claus into a scientific view of the modern world. They do, however, invite us to look beyond our thinking mind to discover who we are.
People everywhere are searching for ways to bring meaning into their stressful lives. Our days are filled with an increasing number of activities, and a decreasing amount of time in which to do them. We look for happiness through the acquisition of things. We want things, and we want them desperately. We want them now, and we want them to last forever. Despite owning more possessions than any people in history, despite our advanced learning, sophisticated communication and technological apparatus, our lives often seem overshadowed by feelings of isolation, despair, and powerlessness. And we feel this during the greatest period of prosperity and good health in history. We seem unable to change the course of our individual lives, our communities, or our environment, where life often seems hopelessly threatened. This frustration occurs because our wealth and all its distractions cannot substitute for what is really essential our ability to take control of our own minds, and investigate the source of our consciousness.
The Perennial Philosophy first described by Aldous Huxley is the thread of universal truth that permeates all the worlds spiritual traditions. It teaches us that alongside the actions we take to improve our world, we also have the opportunity to experience either unity and peace, or isolation and fear. And from the ancient Hindu Vedas, as well as the contemporary teaching of A Course in Miracles, we learn that we give all the meaning there is, to everything we experience. While we cant always control the events around us, we do have power over how we experience those events. At any moment, we can individually and collectively affect the course of our lives by choosing to direct our attention to the aspect of ourselves which is aware - and through the practice of self inquiry, to awareness itself. We can ask, Who is aware? and then, Who wants to know? The choice of where we put our attention is ultimately our most powerful freedom. Our choice of attitude and focus affects not only our own perceptions and experiences, but also the experiences and behaviors of others. Spiritual teacher Gangaji, who points to the path of self-inquiry, reminds us that we are already completely whole, totally free, and permanently at peace. She suggests that we are beings of consciousness, participating in what the authors would call non-local awareness. She writes:
What is choiceless is the truth of who you are. Choice lies in the minds ability to either deny that truth or accept it That choice is free will. You are naturally consciousness You are naturally one with God. 13
Mahatma Gandhi taught that The only devils in the world are those running around in our own hearts. That is where the battles should be fought. Heaven and Hell are available for the asking, but no experience can take place in our lives except in our consciousness, and with our agreement. A master told his student: You dont have to look for God. God is here now. If you were ever here, you would see him.
We conclude that the scientific and spiritual implications of psychic abilities are evident in the continually unfolding mystery of the space-time in which we live. And a quiet mind has the opportunity for experiencing itself as love that is timeless, eternal, and unseparated by our bodies.
If one wishes to investigate this perennial experience, he or she can follow the suggestions offered by A Course in Miracles which, like the Vedas, teaches that walking with God is like surrendering to gratitude, or the experience of oneness that is available at all times. It is not talking about self-improvement, but rather self-realization. It has the following to say about the purpose of this surrender -- and the life-changing power of transcendence packed into the simple-seeming idea that I rest in God:
This thought will bring you the rest and quiet, peace and stillness, and the safety and happiness you seek. This thought has the power to wake the sleeping truth in you whose vision sees beyond appearances to that same truth in everyone and everything there is. Here is the end of suffering for all the world, and everyone who ever came and yet will come to linger for a while. Completely undismayed, this thought will carry you through storms and strife, past misery and pain, past loss and death, and onward to the certainty of God.14
1. Jane Katra and Russell Targ, The Heart of the Mind: How to experience God without Belief, Novato, CA, New World Library,1999
2. R. Targ, J. Katra, D. Brown, and W. Wiegand, Viewing the future: A pilot study with an error-detecting protocol, Journal of Scientific Exploration, 9:3, pp. 367-380, 1995.
3. H. E. Puthoff & R. Targ, A Perceptual Channel for Information Transfer Over Kilometer distances: Historical Perspective and Recent Research. Proc. IEEE, Vol. 64, no. 3, pp. 329 - 254, , March, 1976; R. Targ and H. Puthoff, Information transfer under conditions of sensory shielding. Nature, 251, 602-607, 1975; H. E. Puthoff , R. Targ & E.C. May, Experimental Psi Research: Implication for Physics, in the AAAS Proceedings of the 1979 Symposium on the Role of Consciousness in the Physical World, 1981.
4. Russell Targ and Jane Katra, Miracles of Mind: Exploring Nonlocal Consciousness and Spiritual Healing. Novato, CA: New World Library, 1998.
5. B. J. Dunne, R. G. Jahn, and R. D. Nelson, Precognitive Remote Perception, Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Laboratory (Report). Princeton, N.J., August, 1983.
6. Marilyn Schlitz and Stephen LaBerge, Covert Observation Increases Skin Conductance in Subjects Unaware of When They are Being Observed: A Replication, Journal of Parapsychology, September 1997, 185-196; W. Braud & M. Schlitz, Psychokinetic Influence on Electro-Dermal Activity, Journal of Parapsychology, 47, 1983, pp. 95-119.
7. Dean Radin, The Conscious Universe. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1997.
8. Daniel J. Benor, Healing Research. Volume 1. Munich, Germany: Helix Verlag, 1992.
9. Fred Sicher, Elisabeth Targ, Dan Moore, & Helene Smith, A Randomized Double-Blind Study of the Effect of Distant Healing in a Population With Advanced AIDS, Western Journal of Medicine, 169, December 1998, pp. 356-363.
10. Randolph C. Byrd, Positive Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer in a Coronary Care Unit Population, Southern Medical Journal, 81: 7, July 1988, pp. 826-829.
11. William S. Harris. et al, A Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Effects of Remote Intercessory Prayer on Outcomes in Patients Admitted to the Coronary Care Unit, Archives of Internal Medicine, 159, Oct. 25, 1999, pp. 2273-2278.
12. Ken Wilber, Quantum Questions: Mystical Writings of the Worlds Great Physicists. Boston: Shambhala, 1984.
13. Gangaji, freedom & resolve: The living edge of surrender. Novato, California: The Gangaji Foundation, 1999.
14. A Course in Miracles, Workbook lesson 109. Glen Ellen, CA: Foundation for Inner Peace, 1975.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Addresses explosive growth in mobile data traffic, devices and cloud based applications
- Enables mobile operators to play bigger part in the mobile Internet value chain
- Jointly developed, end-to-end solutions to provide high-quality delivery of content and applications through mobile networks
MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS 2011, Barcelona, Spain – February 14, 2011 – Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC, news, filings) and Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) announce today a exclusive strategic alliance focused on bringing to market mobile cloud acceleration solutions aimed at improving end-user Internet experiences such as mobile ecommerce, enterprise applications and Internet content.
The companies will jointly develop solutions for the fast-growing market of content and applications delivered to mobile devices. As leaders in their respective fields, Ericsson and Akamai bring together the power of mobile networks and the cloud to open new business opportunities for both operators and content providers by creating a new business model built around quality of experience and premium services.
This is the first time that Akamai's global delivery network is integrated into mobile networks in this way. Working with Ericsson, the content and applications already being accelerated over the Internet by Akamai will now also be accelerated over mobile broadband, giving a true end-to-end quality of experience.
Thomson Reuters (which participated in early prototype testing) is well-known for its market-leading mobile strategies. The company has stressed the importance of delivering consistent, fast and high-quality experiences on mobile devices in order to drive adoption and customer satisfaction.
Ericsson estimates that there will be almost 5 billion mobile broadband subscriptions by 2016. The company is also seeing an explosive growth in the Internet content and applications that people want to access on their mobile devices.
The Ericsson and Akamai alliance creates for the first time, a truly integrated mobile Internet ecosystem designed to enable mobile network operators to be more involved in the Internet value chain, in turn helping them better monetize their networks and subscriber base. The solutions are also designed to greatly simplify how content providers distribute their content and gain access to larger audiences.
"The market is becoming increasingly mobile. As an example, advanced Smartphone devices will grow 4-5 times to 2016 and the generated traffic will grow about 30 times, so end-to-end quality of experience becomes key," says Hans Vestberg, President and CEO, Ericsson. "Ericsson is the world leader in high-performance mobile broadband networks and Akamai handles hundreds of billions of daily Web interactions – this is truly a beneficial partnership for the entire mobile and content industries."
"Combining the power of Akamai's global network with Ericsson's industry expertise will allow the mobile industry to reinvent the way it works with content and application providers and will help end-users get the best possible experience when accessing the Web from their mobile devices," said David Kenny, President of Akamai.
A prototype of the mobile cloud acceleration solution will be showcased at the Ericsson Hall (Hall 6) during Mobile World Congress 2011, taking place in Barcelona 14-17 February.
Notes to editors:
Our multimedia content is available at the broadcast room: www.ericsson.com/broadcast_room
About Ericsson
Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the leading position in managed services. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.
Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the "prime driver in an all-communicating world" through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 90,000 employees generated revenue of SEK 203.3 billion (USD 28.2 billion) in 2010. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.
About Akamai
Akamai® provides market-leading, cloud-based services for optimizing Web and mobile content and applications, online HD video, and secure e-commerce. Combining highly-distributed, energy-efficient computing with intelligent software, Akamai's global platform is transforming the cloud into a more viable place to inform, entertain, advertise, transact and collaborate. To learn how the world's leading enterprises are optimizing their business in the cloud, please visit www.akamai.com and follow @Akamai on Twitter.
Akamai Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
This release contains information about future expectations, plans and prospects of Akamai's management that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors including, but not limited to, the effects of any attempts to intentionally disrupt our services or network by hackers or others, unexpected early termination of Akamai's relationship with Ericsson, failure of Akamai solutions to operate effectively with Ericsson solutions, failure of the market for the Ericsson-Akamai solutions to develop as expected, a failure of Akamai's network infrastructure, and other factors that are discussed in Akamai's Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents periodically filed with the SEC.
PR Archives: Latest, By Company, By Date


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NSSF is implementing S.A.F.E. Summer to further spread the message of Project ChildSafe and help prevent firearm accidents, theft and misuse. With "SAFE" serving as an acronym for Secure your firearms when not in use; Be Aware of those around you who should not have unauthorized access to guns; Focus on your responsibility as a firearm owner and Educate yourself and others about safe firearm handling and storage, the effort is focused on providing education and tools that helps gun owners take responsible action to keep their families and communities safer.
"Our primary message is that if you own a firearm, respect it and secure it," says Steve Sanetti, NSSF president and CEO. "Proper storage is the number one way to help prevent firearm accidents in the home; it has an instant effect in making homes and communities safer, and saves lives. If you can't or won't accept that responsibility, we strongly urge you not to own a firearm."
NSSF will continue working in partnership with local law enforcement agencies throughout the nation to distribute the kits, and is currently planning several lock distribution events to be announced in the coming weeks. In addition, new educational materials and resources will be provided through social media and the Project ChildSafe website, starting with a new infographic designed to help firearm owners choose a safe storage option based on their lifestyle and needs. NSSF is also launching an updated www.projectchildsafe.org on June 17 to provide more advice on proper firearm storage and mobilize responsible gun owners to help spread the Project ChildSafe message.
"We want people to know these resources are available so responsible gun owners can take action–right now–to help keep their firearms out of the wrong hands and become powerful voices in sharing safety messages with family members and others in their community," Sanetti said.
NSSF launched Project ChildSafe in 1998 (prior to 2003 the program was called Project HomeSafe) as a nationwide initiative to promote firearms responsibility and provide safety education to all gun owners. While children are a focus, Project ChildSafe is intended to help young people and adults practice greater firearm safety in the home. The program has provided more than 36 million free firearm safety kits to gun owners in all 50 states and five U.S. territories. That's in addition to the more than 60 million free locking devices manufacturers have included with new firearms sold since 1998 and continue to do today.
Project ChildSafe was originally supported by federal grants provided by the U.S. Department of Justice. Since 2008, when this funding was cut, the firearms manufacturing industry has solely funded the Project ChildSafe program through the members of NSSF.
About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is a leading organization promoting firearms safety and responsibility in the U.S. More information about Project ChildSafe is available at www.projectchildsafe.org.
NSSF is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 8,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.


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The FiiO E5 and E6 are twins but this does not mean they are identical. Although they share particular similarities, it would be a mistake to consider them interchangeable or to overlook the distinct characteristics of each. Each amp offers particular qualities that make them unique and better suited for different tastes and demands. In the following, the E5 and E6 will be compared and contrasted on various points including construction, user interface, and most importantly, sound.
At first glance, the E6 shares one obvious quality with its younger predecessor: portability. Like the E5, the E6 is remarkably compact and easy to take anywhere. Both units are designed to seamlessly integrate with portable music devices for powerful headphone amplification in virtually any setting.
Where the E6 begins to differ from the E5 is in its construction materials and design. Unlike the E5 which featured an aluminum housing with matte black finish and a fixed clip of the same material, the E6 is constructed entirely out of plastic and finished with a glossy black coat. While the plastic construction of the E6 is may initially taken to be a shortcoming of the E6, it is sturdy and can reliably withstand the regular jostling that portable devices must be able to endure. Unfortunately, the glossy finish of the E6 is prone to unsightly scratches and smudging in a way that is absent from the E5. Moreover, the fixed clip of the E5 has been replaced by a removable plastic clip on the E6. A removable clip offers users the advantage of opting out of using a clip, but has effectively sacrificed the structural integrity of the clip. The E6 plastic clip is not as sturdy as the E5's fixed clip. Perhaps in an effort to address the strength of the clip, FiiO includes two clips with the E6.
Features and Interface
Beyond their appearance, the user interface of the E6 has been completely redesigned from that of the E5 and includes new features not found on the E5. A single sliding switch allows
users to toggle between three EQ setting and holding the switch in position for 3 seconds turns the E6 off. EQ settings and charging status are indicated by a color changing LED that reflects through a plastic edge on the cut-away corner of the E6 for a sleek and attractive look. Unlike the E5 which featured a flat or bass boost selection, the E6 features more options in the way of EQ settings. Users have the option to select from flat, EQ1, and EQ2 bass boost settings each applying a noticeable change in sound character. Unfortunately, more does not mean better.
In this case, the bass boost settings of the E6 are notably overwhelming. In particular, the EQ1 setting might be exactly what bass-heads are looking for but poses a noticeable problem for individuals seeking a complex and detailed bass response. The EQ2 setting delivers a palatable alternative to the gushing bass, but does not offer the type of clear and balanced bass of the E5's single bass boost setting.
Nonetheless, one aspect in which the E6 does carry a clear advantage is in volume adjustment. While the volume adjustment button has remained the same, the E6 offers a 64 step volume gradient compared to the E5's 32 step volume gradient. The expanded volume gradient allows users to personally define the volume level. On the other hand, the E6 and E5 are both silent in their adjustment, allowing users to change the volume levels without interfering with the quality of the reproduction–a reproduction which is impressively clean and neutral.
Sound Quality
Like any good amp, the signal should not be tainted by the amp's circuitry. On this count, the E6 delivers surprisingly well. Unlike the E5 which is slightly colored by hiss, the E6 features reduced hiss and does not have perceptible coloration on its default flat setting. Even at high volume levels, the hiss remains low. Moreover, the E6 does not produce a loud pop when turned on and prevents damage to the drivers from the sudden spike in voltage. The absence of a loud pop is also a quality that the E5 proudly shares with many FiiO amps including the E6.
Both the E6 and E5 are excellent portable amps. Both headphone amps deliver a neutral response with low distortion levels across the frequency response. Each have the ability to drive high impedance headphones with reliably powerful output. Whether you choose to the E5 or E6, neither will be a sacrifice in quality. It is really a matter of what preference. I personally own the E5 and it suits my purposes especially well– nothing is quite as thrilling as listening to Richard Wagner's "Der Fliegende Hollander" with a bass response that really makes the instruments breathe. Either way you go, FiiO E6 or E5 will both deliver high quality.


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After a quiet start for the year (and keeping up with my promise to try and cut down on travel) we are fast approaching exciting times. March will have a couple of great events I'm really looking forward to, and April packs a really great conference and training. So, without further adue:
DC9723 kicking off 2012 – March 13th
We've been having some issues in the local DCG with a venue, and after 3 months of delayed meetups we have finally settled into what looks like a fantastic venue. It's called "The Library", and true to its name it is one of the public libraries in Tel-Aviv. Renovated, and retrofitted to accommodate a shared workspace for entrepreneurs and small startups, it overlooks one of the more beautiful views of the Tel-Aviv coastline, and is located at the heart of the city – right next to tons of bars and hangouts.
Furthermore, for this inauguration meetup for 2012, we are proud to host Brad Templeton of Singularity University. I'm guessing it's mostly kismet/karma that brought us together, but it couldn't have been a more fitting match for this meetup. To complement Brad's talk and discussion, we'll have a great friend of mine – Keren Elazari who will discuss the past, present and future of the CyberPunk culture. Really can't wait for this one to happen.
Link to The Library's meetup for registration and more information.
Hackcon – March 26th-29th
One of the cons that were on my "hit-list" for a while. Having being recommended by close friends who already spoke there, I will be heading to lovely Oslo for the aptly named HackCon (yeah, I know… Oslo in March may not be _that_ lovely, but…).
With a great speaker lineup, and a website that absolutely refuses to be in English (google translate mandatory as my Norwegian is a bit rusty), this one is shaping up to be an experience!
Link to the program (which fortunately is mostly in English 🙂 )
Source Boston (Training + Conference) April 16th-19th
What can I say about Source? One of my personal favorites, with a personal "track record" of a couple of Barcelonas and soon to be a couple of Bostons. Fantastic attendance and audience, great speaker lineup, content that mixes business and technology like a fine cocktail. And this year is even more special, as I am fortunate enough to be able to bring our Red Team Training to Boston. Chris Nickerson and myself have ran this already once in Colombia last year, and the results are still resonating through Cali :-). We got some great feedback from both business as well as technical people who attended the one-day workshop in Cali, and will be bringing an even bigger, even better 2-day training session to Boston.
Expect a hands-on, no-bullshit couple of days. Expect to be able to pick locks (EVERYONE who is in our class will end up picking at least a 4-pin lock), gather intelligence, social engineer, build threat models, understand surveillance and counter-surveillance, and much more. Expect this not to be just a dull "click-click-click" classroom session. Do not expect us to be gentle on you – the people who attack your company won't be either. Ready to take the plunge and move up from pentesting to the real-thing? Go register: http://www.sourceconference.com/boston/training.asp
And after having "fun" with friends (don't ask what happens when I get to spend more than 10 mintes with Nickerson…), it will be off to the conference itself. Another rock-star lineup, from Dan Geer to Michelle Klinger, from Ally Miller to Chris Gates and Zack Lanier, and many more that I apologize in advance for missing here. This is the ultimate AppSec-Tech-Business throw-down in the east coast.
Full schedule is here.


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Muslim Americans Inspire at the Apollo
By Sarah Jawaid, Common Ground News
Washington, DC – As I peered down from the lower mezzanine level of Harlem's famous Apollo Theater, I knew I was witnessing history. The village of Harlem has been a beacon of inspiration for artists throughout the 20th century; novelists, poets, musicians and actors found it a safe-haven for expression through various art forms such as music and theatre. On 23 January, a burgeoning Muslim American culture also found voice on the Apollo's historic stage.
The Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) organised a special edition of Community Café, usually held in IMAN's hometown of Chicago. This Muslim-led event was meant to provide a space for the socially conscious to celebrate and engage in various artistic forms of expression. Muslims from across the spectrum showcased their incredible talents while shattering self-propagated boundaries of race, gender, sect and vision. A sold-out audience cheered on the dynamic range of creativity from artists, like singer/actor Mos Def, comedian Aasif Mandvi, Progress Theater, musician Amir Sulaiman and The ReMINDers.
The most striking and memorable aspect of the event was not any one performance, but the performances' effect on those attending. The social cohesion resulting from the event extended beyond the Apollo, sending reverberations throughout the American landscape as attendees returned home. With the recent catastrophic events in Haiti heavy on the hearts of the performers, it was a night of social responsibility, artistic sharing and advocacy.
This event couldn't have come at a more perfect juncture in the Muslim American experience. Our identity continues to be shaped by our diversity, reaction to world events and sometimes the stereotyping within and outside of our communities. Nevertheless, Muslim Americans are proactively constructing their own unique identities by contributing meaningfully to society through engagement in causes they truly care about.
For example, there's the woman getting her Ph.D. in psychology to bring attention to mental disorders often seen as illegitimate in many of our communities. There's the man shattering misconceptions about masculinity by taking on issues of domestic violence. There's the painter donating proceeds from what she creates to the victims of Haiti.
These are everyday people. They aren't in the limelight. They don't have book or movie deals. They are living their lives, doing genuine good work because they believe in it. Yes, they are Muslim, and so much more.
Oftentimes, the media highlights folks on the fringes as the only ones confronting singular expressions of Islam. Those in the middle go unnoticed because they aren't as sexy, loud or attention seeking. While the former expressions are one patch in the quilt that makes up the dynamic nature of the Muslim American community, they shouldn't receive a disproportionate amount of attention. Our collective hope for society should be a higher level of consciousness, and that won't happen by focusing only on those at the edges of society, who are most visible.
Focusing on the everyday folks instead can lead us to a stronger sense of social cohesion. These individuals provide us with something intangible but extremely valuable. They are the steady calm, the heart that keeps beating even when gone unnoticed. These individuals are helping create a Muslim American narrative that is based on God-consciousness by confirming faith with good works, community engagement and a purpose that goes beyond their existence.
As I sat there at the Apollo, listening in awe to the beautiful operatic voice of Sumayya, an African American woman with a pink hijab (headscarf), and Zeeshan, a Bangladeshi American Andrea Bocelli, I knew I was home. They were sharing a part of their soul with me while shattering barrier upon barrier.
Art comes from deep within us, a place that often thrives with mental quietude and presence. And when art is shared with one another, it has the power to inspire, build bridges to uncharted places and heal wounds. As we continue to shape our stories, let's remember our essence and how we are all connected to friends of other faiths, the earth and our communities–from a place of wholeness.
* Sarah Jawaid is a writer, artist and faith-based activist working on urban planning issues in Washington, DC. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).


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The folks at PPCGeeks and MobileTechWorld got their hands on what they claim are some of the initial details on Windows Mobile 7. Without citing any sources other than their inbox, both websites claim that Windows Mobile 7 will be introduced at MWC 2010 on February 15th in Barcelona. The official unveiling will reportedly focus primarily on the UI and in depth features will not be shown. Some of the leaked information include the following snippets :
- WM7 will have a user interface derived from codename "METRO" and will be similar to the Zune HD
- The traditional Home Screen will get a whole new look and will not support custom interfaces like Sense and TouchFLO
- No Flash support as time constraints prevented its inclusion
- Will include Silverlight 3.0 with some aspects of SL 4.0 and mobile-specific features
- Applications will be installed through the Windows Mobile Marketplace only, manual installation from a storage card will not be allowed
- Say no to multitasking and yes to push notifications which may be provided by a Microsoft hosted push notifications environment
- Windows Mobile Marketplace will include a "Try before you Buy" feature and offer API support
- No .NET Compact Framework backwards compatibility so all those old apps will not work, but a portion of the data and business logic .NET CF may be ported at some point
- Browser is based upon desktop IE7 codebase, but with some IE8 functionality and is currently faster / better than the iPhone 3G
- MS is actually ahead of schedule which will surprise the analysts / journalists (seriously?)
- Full Zune and Xbox 360 Integration (Gamer tag, achievements, friends, avatars, merchandising, etc)
- No more active sync or Windows Mobile Device center. Zune software will handle all syncing
- Full support for social networking
- Devices are expected to ship by September 2010
All these details are consistent with what we have been hearing about the rumored Zune phone, though it is not clear whether the Zune Phone represents the next generation of Windows Mobile or is a completely separate entity. If this above information is indeed accurate (and that is a big "if") and the aforementioned phone is indeed Windows Mobile 7, then there are lot of changes in store for those who are tied to the Windows Mobile platform.
[Via wmpoweruser]


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Founding Principal, Eric Corey Freed
Eric is the author of four books, including "Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies", a bestseller with over 200,000 copies in print.
His latest, "Green$ense for the Home" won the 2011 Outstanding Book Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors. He is also co-author of the seven innovative study guides for young architects at Architect Exam Prep.
Want to build responsibly, reduce waste, and help preserve the environment? Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies is your friendly, step-by-step guide to every facet of this Earth-friendly method of construction. Building a home—even a green home—uses plenty of resources and energy. This practical, hands-on book shows you how to build or remodel conscientiously, whether your dream home is a simple remodel or a brand-new multimillion-dollar mansion.
Co-Author: Kevin Daum
When does a green home project make financial sense? The authors of this book provide the answer to this and other questions relating to the cost (and relative value) of environmentally friendly home improvements. Eric Corey Freed and Kevin Daum are experts, respectively, in green building and in financing custom homes. In this information-packed book, they walk readers through 50 green home projects and break them down according to the positive impact they have on the environment, as well as the impact they may have (both positive and negative) on the reader's wallet.
Co-Author: Lisa Gelfand
Get the comprehensive guide to the sustainable design of schools. The elementary and secondary school buildings and campuses built today are the schools of the future. Sustainable School Architecture is a guide to the planning, architecture, and design of schools that are healthy, stimulating, and will conserve energy and resources. Written with the needs of architects, construction professionals, educators, and school administration in mind, the book provides a road map for sustainable planning, design, construction, and operations.
Green Your Home All-in-One For Dummies empowers readers to make ecologically-friendly improvements to each and every area of their home. At $29.99 and 696 pages, this package is a real value and a true source book for readers looking for a substantial breadth of information and solutions yet unwilling to invest in four, five, or six books on the wide range of content that they seek.
We've taken our most requested information and produced a series of helpful tip sheets. Download our free PDF guides here.
Here is a helpful list of some of our favorite books and films that you simply can't miss. Browse our recommendations.
Eric writes a great deal of a number of publications. Take a look at some of his latest articles from his personal blog.


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In order to think about ways to align labor rights and human rights and create the changes needed to eliminate the poverty and oppression caused by those ignoring the basic rights that all people should reasonably expect to enjoy; we must address the concept of Intellectual Imperialism.
Intellectual Imperialism is the exploitation of intellectual capital by focusing our best and brightest scientific and engineering minds on developing innovations in labor saving, rather than life saving, technology. The mindset that only by reducing the number, and cost, of workers can a mature industry remain profitable, is a perception in dire need of change if international labor and human rights standards are to be effectively implemented and enforced.
We invest our government and corporate research funding capital, and the efforts of our best people, creating new and improved ways to have fewer and fewer people able to run our industrial plants, rather than focusing that same set of limited resources on discovering innovative ways of employing the same number of people to create more, better quality, more useful products, whose production would create even higher levels of employment.
Better products increase demand, greater demand increases industrial employment to meet that demand, higher employment increases disposable income, more disposable income creates more consumer spending, and all contribute to higher profits, and therefore a stronger economy.
This is not to say that progress and innovation, geared towards increasing profit, is any way a bad thing. The profit motive has served to create the funding for all manner of innovations.
From early civilizations prior to the first time an ancient Greek, Phoenician, or Norse sea captain asked their kings and queens to sponsor exploration to find new trade routes, products, and treasure, profit has driven innovation.
The reallocation of capital and human resources to maximize education and employment opportunities is vital to the health and prosperity of our nation and the international community.
A greater percentage of corporate and public research and development funds must be used to improve training and education. This is essential to properly prepare our young people for their place in the future work force. Keeping the skills of today's work force vital and current, so their skill set can continue to evolve, is key to keeping them prepared for the constant work place change that is the hallmark of the 21st century global economy.
Corporate funding to permanently endow innovative elementary and secondary school programs; corporate and union funded endowment of professorships, teaching assistant-ships, and research staffs at universities; government, corporate, and labor partnerships in the endowment of international educational exchange programs will create a permanent environment for ongoing educational innovation.
In order to foster the cultural and core value changes required, it is imperative that governments, multinational corporations, organized labor, human rights organizations, academia, and community activists begin the dialogue necessary to form the consensus needed to implement meaningful, lasting, change.
A key element is the agreement and commitment by all International Labor Organization (ILO) member nations to implement changes in their domestic labor laws and trade policies to create the ability for workers everywhere to have the protection of, and means to enforce, the four conventions comprising the ILO's Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.[1]
The commitment to enforce the right to freedom of association and the right to engage in collective bargaining; elimination of all forms of compulsory or forced labor; abolition of child labor; and finally, elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation with serious penalties universally imposed on violators is essential.[2]
Further, enforceable legislation needs to be passed guaranteeing that workers employed by international corporations anywhere in the world should be paid a wage that creates a standard of living equivalent to that enjoyed by that company's workers with the best pay, benefits, and conditions employed in similar jobs. This is the only way to bring the race to the bottom to a halt and put an end to social dumping.
An international coalition of government, industry, and labor must come together to create a plan to design and implement a worldwide program of green infrastructure construction projects to replace outdated, crumbling, bridges, roads, railroads, water treatment, and power delivery systems in developed countries, and bring renewable, green, transportation, water and power delivery systems to developing nations.
This will create new business opportunities for capital investment as well as millions of management, administrative, technical, skilled, and unskilled jobs around the world. The investment in education will create the innovations needed to create this green transportation and utility infrastructure, which will create opportunities for capital investment in green mining, agricultural, industrial, and service industries, resulting in more employment, more corporate profits, and a higher standard of living for people everywhere.
If we do not, if we continue to ignore the ever-increasing hunger, squalor, sickness, ignorance, and worldwide economic and ecological damage, caused by the unregulated greed and shortsightedness of so many in political, industrial, labor, and social leadership, if we continue to march, with flags waving and bands playing, obliviously backward into the dark ages, the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren will be a millennium of darkness and despair.
About the Author: Robert Daraio is a Local Representative of The Newspaper Guild of New York, CWA Local 31003; the Recording Secretary of the New York Broadcast Trades Council; moderator of theBroadcast Union News website; and a 2011 graduate of the MALS program at the CUNY Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies.


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With a few exceptions, all animals are photographed upon arrival at our facility and can be viewed by clicking on the links above.
We ask that potential adopters fill out an submit an "Adoption Application" prior to selecting an animal. You may either pick up an application at the Animal Shelter or download the application so you may bring it with you when you visit.
Our shelter animals would love to become a member of your family! Won't you give them a chance? We encourage you to visit our shelter in person.
You may also view animals using the following sites:
We offer a free spay or neuter on animals marked as Pet of the Week, which can be viewed in the Merced Sun Star newspaper every Saturday.


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Author: JA Huss
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: September 9, 2015
Fletcher Novak is Sexy.
Fletch has charm, Fletch has charisma, and Fletch has moves. He turns dreams into reality two nights a week, baring his body to lonely women, bored housewives, and bachelorettes looking for that one last good time. He's into one-night stands, one-time things, and he never, ever gets serious.
Tiffy Preston is looking for commitment.
A billionaire's daughter with the world at her fingertips, Tiffy's in Lake Tahoe to take over her father's hotel and clean up the Mountain Men Male Revue Show. She's well-bred, polite, and hates everything Fletcher represents.
But Fletcher offers Tiffy something she can't refuse—total satisfaction and the man of her dreams. All she has to do is… everything he tells her.
Because Sexy doesn't sell… it's for sale.
Sexy is a full-length, standalone novel by New York Times Bestselling author, JA Huss.
Purchase Links
GET THE ENTIRE SEVEN BOOK SERIES for $4.99 (one week only)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/L4FNQr8QNwg
"Have you thought about me?" I ask. "Since last night at the show? Because I've thought about you."
"What did you think about me? That I'm your next victim?"
"No, actually." I smooth down the blanket on the ground of the shed and then step towards her, taking her face in my hands and pulling her tight against my chest. "I've thought about your hot breath as you panted against my cock when I was standing on your chair. I thought about your upturned eyes, looking at me if I ever got the chance to get you on your knees."
She gulps air.
"Now tell me what you've been thinking about. Because you wouldn't be here if you didn't want to be."
"We're locked in," she whispers as my mouth moves in closer.
I kiss her softly. No tongue, just a small, tender kiss that makes girls melt. "You have a phone, Tiffy. One call to your BFF, Claudio, and you're free."
She stares at me.
"But even though I might be the biggest prick you ever met, you want me, don't you."
She swallows hard.
"And I want you. That's why we're here. I want you. So if you don't feel the same way, now's your chance to say so."
"I want…" She stops. There was a word on her lips, but I'm almost certain it was not my name. Jealousy heats me up in a millisecond. What kind of girl has another man's name on her tongue when she's gazing up into my eyes?
"What?" I say sharply. "What were you gonna say?"
"I want to be irresistible. Like you."
"What?" I have to admit, I'm surprised. And then I laugh. "Are you a virgin?"
"I'm twenty-six, asshole. I'm not a fucking virgin."
"Then what do you mean? I'm confused."
"You're just…" She sighs. "So good at this stuff. Seduction, right? I'm bad at it."
"Who do you want to seduce?" My jealous rage is back.
"No one. Not specifically. But you're so confident. And I'm so… not. I feel like I should take notes."
It's my turn to sigh. "What, you want me to teach you how to seduce someone?" The irony is not lost.
"Well, look. I hate you. I really do. You had me grabbing your cock last night and then I got accused of sexually harassing you. You made me feel like an idiot in that meeting with your plans and proposals. And now I'm up in your sex den, and I'm not sure what's happening." She looks at me with pleading eyes. "Tell me how you get all this control. How do you do it?"
I think about this for a few seconds, and then take a calculated risk. "How many blowjobs have you given in your life, Tiffy?"
"What?" She laughs, putting her hand over her heart like the word 'blowjob' is an assault on her virtue.
"I've given… one," she admits, and then averts her eyes.
I'm turned on again. "One? One is not enough. If you want to know how to control a man, you don't need to look any further than your own mouth. Men are drawn to lips. Every girl they ever think about sexually starts with an image of their cock in that girl's mouth. So if you want control, you gotta lead a guy to your mouth."
She takes a deep breath. "Go on."
God, why am I so annoyed that she's asking me for pointers? I can make her do anything I want right now. I should be celebrating.
"Please," she begs. "Tell me."
I place a hand on her shoulder and push. "Get on your knees."
Author Bio
JA Huss is the USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty romances. She likes stories about family, loyalty, and extraordinary characters who struggle with basic human emotions while dealing with bigger than life problems. JA loves writing heroes who make you swoon, heroines who makes you jealous, and the perfect Happily Ever After ending.


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Robin Thicke Earns The Top Vote For Song Of The Summer At Comic-Con 2013
The predominant focus of Comic-Con is certainly not music, but that doesn't mean the stars don't want to talk about their favorite tunes. Radio.com hit the red carpet at this year's convention in San Diego this weekend, including Superman's 75th Anniversary Celebration and Entertainment Weekly's annual Comic-Con bash, and asked stars from True Blood, Parks & Recreation and Man Of Steel to name their summer jams.
Unsurprisingly, the celebrities with theater background love show tunes, the fantasy writers love prog-rock, and if you have to spend four hours in a make-up chair, YouTube videos of cats talking like people replace music completely. The real takeaway, though, was that like most of America, Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" is the top vote for the official song of the summer. Most ladies we talked to would like nothing more than to have a private dance party with him, a party that wouldn't be that much different than the one shown in his racy video.
Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" came in at a close second, wile Imagine Dragons satisfied the rock contingent and Kanye earned a few shout-outs. Below is a full list of responses from Comic-Con 2013:
Retta, Parks & Recreation
"'Blurred Lines!' When I first heard the song I thought my friend said it was Alan Thicke and I was like, 'Damn! Thicke's makin' a comeback!'"
Yvette Nicole Brown, Community
"'Blurred Lines' without a doubt, but India.Arie's 'Just Do You' is a song for my soul. If I had my own television show, that would be the theme music."
Valorie Curry, The Following
"I've got to say 'Blurred Lines' because it's awesome. My own private dance party with Robin Thicke? Yes please!"